On 9 December 2020 Dame Diana Johnson MP introduced the Sexual Exploitation Bill. It would criminalise the purchase of sex and target sex workers advertising online. It passed the first reading.

The framework contained in the Bill is known as the "Nordic Model", first introduced in Sweden in 1999. Its stated aim is to reduce sex trafficking by eliminating the demand for commercial sex. It has since been introduced in countries such as Ireland, France and Israel. 

Countless studies show that the Model does not reduce sex trafficking. Instead, it increases vulnerability to exploitation by pushing the commercial sex trade underground. It forces sex workers to agree to riskier clients, lower rates and dangerous practices to earn enough to survive. It is condemned by human rights organisations, sex workers and trade unions. 

There are around 72,800 sex workers in the UK, many of who migrants, women of colour and/or trans. Government policies such as austerity, Universal Credit and the Hostile Environment have forced more people to turn to sex work to meet their basic needs. Criminal and immigration laws are already disproportionately enforced against sex workers, who are stigmatised and abused by the police, clients and the public as a result. The Nordic Model will only make this situation much, much worse. 

Instead, the UK must decriminalise sex work. They must listen to groups such as the English Collective of Prostitutes and respect the human rights of sex workers, offering labour rights to those that want them. They must address the root causes of dependency on sex work and vulnerability to trafficking, rather than committing to a Model that is proven to only cause more harm than good.